Fourth of July keeps Fresno firefighters, animal control workers busy

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Firefighters and animal control workers are dealing with the aftermath of a hectic Fourth of July.

Workers said they've had at least 60 dogs dropped off at the Central California SPCA since Saturday. From puppies to aging companions, there's no shortage of scared pets who've lost their way from home.

"We had people waiting at the door at 8 o'clock in the morning, waiting to drop strays off," said Jesalyn Harper of the CCSPCA. "The two busiest times of the year for us are Fourth of July and New Year's Eve because of the fireworks and gunshots going off."

Those fireworks sent sensitive dogs and cats in a tizzy, and had firefighters rushing to put out flames.

"We've been chasing grass fires, roof fires all evening long. Crews have been bouncing around all over the city," said Battalion Chief Todd Tuggle of the Fresno Fire Department.

One fire in Central Fresno completely destroyed an abandoned commercial building. Investigators believe it was started by fireworks. A grass fire near Fowler and Jensen avenues singed almost five acres and was also started by pyrotechnics.

"The aerial fireworks are a major hazard. They're a lot of fun, they look beautiful in the sky, but when those things explode, you never know where they're going to come down," said Tuggle.

Kennels are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a walkthrough. If dogs aren't microchipped or have IDs, they'll be sent to the adoption center in about five days. Dogs with microchips have about two weeks to be claimed or they'll be adopted off as well.

Information from Fresno Fire Department:

On July 4th 2015, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 3 a.m. the Fresno Fire Department responded to 127 calls for service. This represents over a 100-percent increase in call volume.

Call breakdown:

42 (33%) fire calls

38 (29%) medical calls

32 (25%) service calls

3 motor vehicle accidents

12 miscellaneous calls